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High Hopes

As Frank cheerfully sang, the key in life is often maintaining High Hopes!

~

Take today for example.

One of the challenges to frequent moves is finding a place for a haircut, for people and for pets. I so should have gone to TheBest Little Hair House in Texas while we were in Nixon, but I didn’t. Now our rig has moved north to Wharton, which is about 55 miles SW of Houston. We’re starting over, beginning with Henry VIII.

I Googled groomers. There were two. I read the reviews. There were two. Today was Henry’s day for a shave and a haircut. He had to be at Paws and Claws at 8:30, which meant, I needed to stay up past my bedtime. Seemed like a great day to get the Jeep ready to sell.

Heidi and I unloaded it, including moving the immensely heavy, ever so practical, rock tumbler that I bought one month before leaving Oregon. With the heavy lifting done, Heidi hopped in the pickup and set off to get Henry VIII spiffed up.

I was left to guard the gate and clean the caliche covered Jeep interior. I wiped down the leather, sprayed down the floor mats and myself, dug under the seats for dimes and sunglasses and stray straws. Because I work nights, I had yet to meet the owner (who arrives in a chauffeured limousine) or the ranchers. Until this morning.

Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant.

It was already 91 degrees with about the same amount of humidity by 9:00 a.m. I was soaked to my toes and blinded with sweat, glasses slipping and steamed over when the bell rang and Bubba pulled up. Bubba is clearly a VERY popular Texas name since we’ve now been on 3 Bubba ranches and one Bobbo ranch (slight variation). It wasn’t my pinnacle moment as a professional. I couldn’t see, my Life is Good t-shirt had darkened two shades in multiple places and I couldn’t get my half cloth/half rubber gloves off because my hands were so sweaty. I gave my cheeriest hello, which was greeted by Where’s Heidi?!

About 15 minutes later, I was carrying the soaking wet floor mats to the service wagon to dry, admiring the waffle pattern they’d left on my jeans when the bell rang again. This time is was Clay, the assistant ranch manager who’d been on vacation for a week. Where’s Iris?! (she was our sub)

Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant.

Hesitant to explain that she was the sub and I was ‘real’ gate guard, I just said, Heidi went to town, which not only didn’t answer his question, but made no sense to him at all. Thankfully, Miss H didn’t pay a visit today, although she may have gotten a couple of phone calls. (She’s the chauffeured land baron for this 1,150 acre ranch)

When Heidi returned, I happily resigned my post for a shower and some sleep. I had strange dreams of the wild hogs and tanning beds. I don’t see any correlation either, I’m just sharing. As soon as I got up, Heidi headed into town to wash the Jeep, pick up a few groceries and retrieve Henry.

It was a little cloudy when she left, which I’ve learned, in Texas, means nothing.

Or at least in meant nothing for the past 9 months.

Today it meant something.

30 minutes later, the sky turned brown and a significant portion of the road came hurtling at the RV.

So did the lights and the wooden table and random Styrofoam cups and grocery bags. I felt slightly like Dorothy as I stood at the window and watched things fly by.

Of course, this occurred at the same time the guys were changing shifts and the mud trucks were rolling in. I checked folks in and out with my eyes mostly closed, when I could get the door open, which for a few moments, was quite impossible.

It’s now 3:45 a.m. and I’m still trying to get the sand out of my eyes and ears, but the door opens fine.

In the meantime, Heidi called from Wharton to say the tornado sirens were going off, the police had closed the road, she and Henry had taken shelter in the car wash and were watching trash bags and beer cans fly through the air.

H & H made it home about an hour later, just before dark and just before the rain pelted for about 4 minutes.

Henry found the entire day to be a bit much, but he and I both have high hopes for tomorrow!

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14 thoughts on “High Hopes”

YES! I agree! Your 5th wheel DOES look good, and I can’t see the backside, so it doesn’t matter.

We have a 55 lb. Standard Poodle, Sunshine, who is the Lord and Master of our motor home, and we have taken to carrying several pictures of her when she looks particularly fetching so that we can show the new groomers what we are after. We have had some pretty bad cuts, so we try to get it right.

Mike – That’s so funny! Heidi just said yesterday that when Henry looks just right again, she’ll take a picture so she can show the groomer what we want.
Because he’s 1/2 poodle and 1/2 schnauzer, we get quite a variety of cuts! 😀
~ Debbie

Sue! Oh don’t we wish!
Henry isn’t wild about his new cut. He keeps licking his lips – does he have lips?
Guess he’s licking his beard. Must be the special grooming shampoo flavor!
All sunny days ahead for this week. 😀
Great to hear from you! Heart hugs headed west!
~ Debbie

Good Grief Debbie, I’m sure your hair was no longer gray with all of the debris flying, not to mention caliche! You must by shocked by the dark clouds and rain there after all of this time with the sun and heat. The adventures never cease do they? May you have a restful sleep whenever that is. Chris

Hey there Chris!
I didn’t sleep worth a hoot today. I should have read your comment sooner!
I’m still out of sync from the trip. Not sure why…
I’ve ‘washed that grey back into my hair’ – as you’ll see in tomorrow’s post. 😀
Take care, my friend!
~ Debbie

We also had the high winds at our gate over close to Peggy. We got a little more rain..just enough to make it messy for the dogs.
Your new RV looks sharp! We are shopping and will probably buy a new Rv next year.